Athletic training is an essential aspect to maintaining the physical conditioning, endurance, agility, strength and balance of a human or animal subject. Athletes may focus on a broad training regime or limit training to a particular area. In the field of balance training, and more particular dynamic balance training, a tensioned or slack line of webbing or rope mounted between two fixed points may be used as a training technique, commonly known as “slacklining.” The two fixed points must support the ends of the slackline and bear the weight of the athlete and span a challenging length.
Previously known mobile or portable balancing equipment designs typically lack sufficient length and rope tension adjustability needed to provide a desired degree of muscular challenge, and limit the potential training techniques or training regimens enabled thereby. For example, the distance between the two end supports commonly limits the amount of slack that may be allowed in the line before the line bottoms out against the frame or contacts the ground. Less slack in the line makes balancing and training less challenging for the athlete and reduces the dynamics of the line. Additionally, the short span of the line or minimal distance between the two fixed support points of known devices reduces the dynamics of the line and thereby limits the challenge.
Outdoor training using trees or other stationary outdoor structures is often the best option to provide both a challenging span and degree of line slackness. But training outdoors is often seen as a drawback to balance training and is dependent upon the location of suitable supports and associated weather. Further, securing the suspended rope to trees can be damaging and potentially life threatening to living plants.
Thus it can be seen that needs exist for improved slackline training apparatus and methods. It is to the provision of an improved system and method for dynamic balance training meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.